“I help… Saving is saying a lot”: in Irpin, a doctor works in a devastated hospital

Explosions are heard, like a welcome salvo at the Irpin hospital, but nothing compared to that of the doctor. “I am the only doctor left”, he explains to Nicolas Tonev, the special envoy of Europe 1 in Ukraine who then asks him for information: “My name is Andrei. The health situation? A crap, a crap”, repeats the doctor at his microphone, “a lot of corpses. Do you want to see some? Come on, let’s go”, he says. While Russian troops are putting pressure on the western front of Kiev and the locality of Irpin, a strategic lock blocking access to the capital, this doctor remains underground in the ruins of the destroyed and closed hospital of the town.

Irpin Hospital suffered damage from the war.
Credits: Nicolas Tonev/Europe 1

A hospital pierced by days of war

In a no man’s land, between the Ukrainian and Russian positions, Andrei wants to help his people. The doctor takes a few steps and bypasses the main building of the hospital pierced by the 20 days of war. Between broken glass and concrete, these few meters on foot are punctuated by the rumble of artillery.

Credits: Nicolas Tonev/Europe 1

“Here are our dead fighters that I failed to save,” says the doctor. The drama took place in a hallway in ruins, where the two men are. “Here, I saved… Here, I saved six out of eight people, I failed for two”, explains Andrei, not without emotion. These two Ukrainians rest there, for lack of morgue.

In the corridors of the hospital.
Credits: Nicolas Tonev/Europe 1

Under the sound of terrible salvos

“There are planes, it’s anti-aircraft,” says the doctor. “How are you doing?” asks our special correspondent. “Like that, you see, I’m a doctor,” replies the doctor. “I don’t know if I’m saving (people), I’m helping… Saving is saying a lot,” he confides, as a terrible salvo rings out.

Andrei never turns his head up in worry. In the ruins and the din, he has spoken enough, and is now leaving.